The present invention relates to an electrical wiring channel which can be installed in existing buildings.
At the pace of technological change, today""s existing buildings cannot always keep up. When a new technology emerges that requires a new type of wiring, it poses significant challenges to residences and businesses.
New office buildings are better designed to accommodate wiring changes. They have hollow ceilings, cubicles with built-in wiring channels, specialized racks within wiring closets, and so on.
Residences and businesses that are in older buildings have many more challenges. When a building is first built, much of the wiring for the technologies of the day is run through the walls. Over time, technology changes and much of the wiring becomes obsolete.
There are many solutions that attempt to address this issue, but most of them do not work very well. Some of these are discussed below.
Surface mount wiring channels are known, and are typically metal or plastic channels which are mounted to a wall. Generally, these are very noticeable and unattractive.
Additionally, surface mount wiring is known. Such wiring is in the form of flattened wires that can be stapled or adhered to a wall. These are, for example, sometimes used for speaker wires. These are moderately noticeable, and can be relatively expensive.
Wireless technologies are known, which dispense with wires altogether. Some of these work well in an existing building, while others may not. Expense is also a factor, as these applications can require newer technologies that are more expensive than conventional wiring. Further, it can be difficult to find a location for a wireless access point.
It is, however, a problem in the art to provide an electrical wiring system which can be installed in existing buildings, which is relatively inexpensive and attractive.
From the foregoing, it is seen that it is a problem in the art to provide a device meeting the above requirements. According to the present invention, a device and process are provided which meets the aforementioned requirements and needs in the prior art. Specifically, the device according to the present invention provides an electrical wiring channel which can be installed easily in existing buildings.
More particularly, the invention relates to an electrical wiring channel having a C-shaped portion which can be installed at the level of a baseboard molding, and a faceplate carrying a baseboard molding. The invention can include specially-shaped wiring channel portions shaped for corners, so as to go around the periphery of door frames and around corners of walls.
The wiring channel portions have female fastener members. The faceplate members have male fastener members which can engage with the female fastener members to retain the faceplates in position. The baseboard can be fastened in any known manner to the faceplates.
The wiring channel with removable faceplate runs parallel to and in plane with the wallboard. When the baseboard molding is attached to the removable faceplate, they become an integrated unit that is attractive and hides the wiring from view.
While the present invention is intended for installation in existing buildings, it is contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention to install it in new buildings.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.